Freshly showered and wearing her “accountants do it down and across sleep shirt Hannah settled herself in bed. It was Thursday night. Jared would be back tomorrow. He had never been far from her thoughts since their brief encounter in the cab of his truck. He was there when she dropped off to sleep at night and when her alarm woke her in the morning. What really kept her on edge though was his presence in between those times.

Each night Hannah read poems from the book she’d found in her grandparent’s room. She found herself loving the Jared’s style of writing. It touched her deeply and was partly to blame for the intense sexual dreams Hannah had as she remembered Jared coaxing such an unbelievable response from her body. One poem in particular moved her more than the others. She kept returning to it night after night.

Our bodies rising with the fire of our love
Burning ever higher as our lips meet
First crushing, then gently brushing
As we rock in each others arms
Racing the wind, the beating of our hearts

‘Til I can see forever in your eyes
Where the flames of our passion
Are just embers
Beside the fire in our hearts
The burning desire to share all of life with you
The rest of life with you

Opening my eyes only to find
Myself dreaming of you

Hannah felt the sensuality of that poem in every fiber of her being. Jared obviously desired the woman the poem was about. As he had so many times during the past week Jared crept back into her thoughts. Sighing, Hannah closed the book. Was Jared that man? Hannah was afraid that although her mind told her he wasn’t, her heart was secretly hoping he was. Hannah sighed again and turning the lamp off snuggled under the covers. The bright moonlight was spilling through the window, the sky so blue and cloudless she felt as if she could reach right out and grab a star. She continued gazing at the heavens and her mind wandered back to the previous Sunday.
Hannah had kept her promise to host a brunch for her cousins and as always the talk revolved around husbands and families. Then it was time for Hannah to let them in on what happened with Jared the night of the party. They all looked at her with expectant faces but when Hannah hesitated Tricia said, “You really don’t have to tell us anything Hannah, we can pretty much guess what happened.
Hannah was a little embarrassed but found that she wanted to talk. She took them through the ride down beer joint road, Jared pulling her onto the dance floor and the incredible feeling of being in his arms. She told them how she felt when she realized that Jared was just as affected by their contact as she was. How touching his concern at her possible virginity had been and then the magic of his touch when he’d parked the truck on the side of the road.

“Wow, Tammie said fanning herself with her hand. “Am I the only one having’ hot flashes here? Damn Hannah, that was hot!
Hannah laughed with her cousins then sobered when she remembered the words Cindee had thrown at her after the party. She quickly told them about her warning to Hannah about Jared.
Darlene rolled her eyes in exasperation, “So she tells you that Jared is a two legged stud service? Well she ain’t talking’ from personal experience. She’s been trying’ to get Jared to go out with her for years and he’s just not interested. Forget about her Hannah and concentrate on Jared. Yall just might have something’ special.
Hannah said goodbye to her cousins soon after. Sammie lingered a little longer than the others helping Hannah clean up a bit. Finally she took a deep breath and said, “Hannah no one wants this thing with you and Jared to work out more than me. I know he’s been kind of a fantasy for you and it must be wonderful to finally live out that fantasy. I don’t agree with Cindee’s assessment of Jared but it might be a good idea to guard your heart a little at first. At Hannah’s questioning look, she continued. “He dated a friend of mine for a time and while she said he was a good man and a wonderful lover, he was also very against any kind of commitment. I don’t think Jared would intentionally hurt you but it could still happen.

Hannah hugged her cousin. “Thanks for telling’ me Sammie. I don’t really know how I feel about Jared. I just know that what I do feel has been inside me for so long it seems to have become part of who I am. I feel like there are invisible forces pushing me closer and closer to Jared and I don’t have the power to stop it. It scares me, but it also excites me. Hannah looked at Sammie and asked softly, “Do you know what I mean? Fearing that her younger cousin had already lost her heart, Sammie nodded and said just as softly, “Yes I do.

Jared pushed open the door of his home and dropped his bags on the floor as he made his way to the kitchen. Once there he pulled a beer out of the fridge and then let his weary body fall onto the sofa in the living room. Lines of exhaustion marred his handsome face. He drained the last of the beer, letting the cold liquid slide down his parched throat. He toed off his boots and stretched his long body out on the couch. He had just closed his eyes when his cell phone began ringing. He dug the phone out of his pocket and looked at the number displayed on the screen. Groaning, he set the phone on the table where it continued to ring.
He was in no mood to talk to his agent Annette Frost again so soon. He was emotionally and physically spent. At the beginning of the tour Jared had made it clear to her that this would be his last round of personal appearances and book signings. She had slid her arm through his as they boarded the plane in Houston and Jared knew he hadn’t imagined the deliberate press of her breast against his arm. She’d given him a calculating look and said, “Jared I know you hate the publicity side of this business, but that’s what you’ve got me for. When Jared didn’t answer she reacted with exasperation. “Honestly Jared I really don’t know what you have to complain about. I do all the promotional work, the planning. All you have to do is just show up, flash those gorgeous dimples of yours and sign a few books. As the plane started down the runway Annette slid her hand slowly up Jared’s thigh and said softly, “Besides there’s no reason why we can’t mix a little pleasure with business.

Jared had gently stopped her hand’s progress before it reached its destination. Annette had looked at Jared, her eyes promising things he hadn’t asked for and said, “It’ll be different this time Jared, I promise.”
Jared sighed. The only thing really different about this time however, had been that Annette had come on to him almost constantly even showing up at his hotel room several times dressed in as little as possible. Then on the last night before they were to fly home Jared had returned to his room to find Annette lying naked across his bed. She was truly stunning and Jared waited for the lust to take over his body and was surprised when it didn’t. He’d gently but firmly asked her to leave.
Annette had reacted with all the fury of a woman scorned. She’d slipped into a robe and told him with a quiet, cold angry voice that he wouldn’t have ever gotten any of his pitiful poems published without her. Then before she slammed out the door she’d attacked his manhood saying, “I wonder what all your adoring female fans would say if they knew that the man who writes such sensual poems and looks so virile can’t even get it up!
When Jared went down to the hotel desk to check out the next morning he’d learned that Annette had arranged to take an earlier flight. Relief flooded through him. On the flight home he pondered the situation with Annette. It hadn’t been such a long time ago that he would have accepted that entire she’d offered without a second thought. There was a reason why he’d asked Annette to leave his room. Her name was Hannah.

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